Clothes wringer and the like



Sept 4: 1934., Q E KENNETT L97Z TI$ CLOTHES WRINGER AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 1, 1933 C -Kerzneii Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHES WRINGER AND THE LIKE Victoria, Australia Application September 1, 1933, Serial No. 687,875 In Australia April 13, 1933 1 Claim.

This invention relates to clothes Wringers and the like, and more particularly to improvements in the construction and the mounting of the handle by which the wringer is rotated;

It is at present customary in clothes wringers to secure the handle to the shaft of the lower roller more or less permanently by means of a nut fitted onto the screw-threaded end of the shaft. The handle, when secured in this manner, cannot be easily removed and thus it is found to offer considerable obstruction during times when the wringer is not in use. Moreover, when the clothes wringer is stored away or is packed for transport the handle, if not removed from the shaft, considerably increases the space that is required for the storage or packing of the appliance.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved form of handle which can be pivotally folded or collapsed to lie against the side of the clothes wringer, thus avoiding obstruction when the wringer is not in use and economizing space during storage or transport.

The invention is fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a front view of a clothes wringer provided with a foldable handle according to the invention, the handle being shown in normal extended position for use.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the handle folded against the side of the wringer when out of use.

Fig. 3 is an end view and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the pivoted end of the handle.

Fig. 5 is'a side view of the handle pivot and locking means.

In these views, 1 indicates the usual framework of a clothes wringer, 2 and 3 the upper and lower rollers respectively, 4 the shaft of the lower roller and 5 the handle, the latter consisting of the usual crank arm 6 and hand-grip 7.

According to the invention, the handle 5 is pivotally secured to the end of the shaft 4 and means are provided for locking the handle in extended position for use as shown in Fig. 1, and in pivotally folded position when not in use as shown in Fig. 2. v

In the particular construction shown in the drawing and intended to be representative of the invention, the arm 6 of the handle is constructed with a bifurcated inner end 8 which receives the screw-threaded end of the shaft 4 and is pivotally secured thereto by means of a pin 9 passing through the shaft and the jaws of the bifurcated end of the arm. A locking nut 10 is fitted onto the screw-threaded end of the shaft 4 and is adapted, when tightened, to clamp against either of the flat faces 11 of the bifurcated portion of the handle arm 6 and thereby secure the handle in either extended or folded position. The locking nut 10 is preferably of the wing type as shown for ease in manipulation.

In some cases, a washer (not shown) may be interposed between the side of the wing-nut 10 and the face 11 of the handle arm if considered desirable.

When the clothes wringer is not required for use, the wing-nut 10 is rotated in a direction to move it out of clamping engagement with the face 11 of the handle arm. The pivotal connection of the handle arm with the end of the roller shaft 4 is thus loosened, enabling the handle to be pivotally folded upwardly on the pin 9 to lie against the side of the wringer frame as shown When the handle is collapsed in the mannerdescribed, less obstruction is offered by the handle during times when the clothes wringer is not in use, and when the wringer is removed from the washing troughs or the like and stored away or is being transported the space occupied by the wringer will be found to be very considerably reduced.

What I do claim is:-

In a clothes wringer or the like including a roller shaft having a threaded end, a handle having a bifurcated end to receive the threaded end of the roller shaft, a pin passed through the bifurcated end of the handle to pivotally secure the handle to the shaft, flat faces on the opposite sides of said bifurcated end of the handle, and a locking nut fitted on the screw-threaded end of the shaft andv adapted, when tightened, to engage either of the flat faces of the bifurcated end of the handle and secure the handle in extended position or in pivotally folded position.

CHARLES E. KENNE'IT. 

